1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card type memory, an image forming apparatus, and a method for starting the image forming apparatus with the card type memory.
2. Discussion of Background Art
Recently, an image forming apparatus implements various functions, such as a facsimile, a printer, a copier, a scanner, etc. Such an image forming apparatus includes a display section, a printing section, and an image pickup section, and correspondingly stores four types of applications. Thus, the image forming apparatus can serve as the facsimile, the printer, the copier, and the scanner in accordance with the application.
Program operating the image forming apparatus is updated, but sometimes rewriting thereof results in failure. Then, a rescue system is stored in a Flash-ROM and executes recovery.
Such a Flash-ROM is mapped to a memory in an ASIC installed in the image forming apparatus as shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, sixteen Mega bytes of the memory are assigned to the Flash-ROM.
However, since a size of program including the rescue system increases, a card type memory of a cheap unit price is utilized instead of the Flash-ROM.
Thus, an ASIC can use a card type memory as a substitute of the Flash-ROM using a memory emulation function to map a memory of the card type memory in the ASIC.
However, when a SD (Secure Digital Memory) card is used as a card type memory, the SD card is ruled by a SDA to include one FAT file system, and cannot be simply used as a memory such as a Flash-ROM while omitting the FAT file system.
Further, since the above-mentioned memory excluding the FAT file system is advantageous in suppressing careless file deletion, it is not preferable that all of processing is dealt by the FAT file system.
In such a way, a conventional card type memory is inefficiently utilized.